XL8 Meets Japanese VCs and Global Companies at Startup JAPAN EXPO 2026

Exploring the Potential of Real-Time Multilingual Captioning Solutions in Japan

Startup JAPAN EXPO 2026, one of Japan’s largest startup events, was held at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan, in April. The event brought together startups, enterprises, and investors from across Japan. At the event, XL8 introduced its AI simultaneous interpretation solution, EventCAT, and explored its potential applications in the Japanese market. 

XL8 participated in the event after being selected for, ‘Big Wave Global (Japan)  Plug in: Tokyo #9’ program led by the Busan Center for Creative Economy & Innovation. The selection was meaningful in that it recognized EventCAT’s technology and business potential for expansion into the Japanese market. 

The EventCAT booth welcomed visitors from Japanese VC firms, global consulting firms, startups, MICE organizations, and the broadcasting and media sectors in Japan. At the booth, XL8 introduced EventCAT in Korean, and the solution generated real-time Japanese captions and voice interpretation so visitors could follow the presentation.

Visitors were able to see through live demos how EventCAT provides real-time multilingual captions and interpretation for online meeting platforms such as Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams, as well as conference environments. In particular, the team received inquiries about adopting EventCAT for content production and broadcasting workflows that require multilingual captions.

Through local networking via FUNDeal, XL8 also received partnership inquiries from Japanese companies and discussed potential collaboration and PoC(Proof of Concept) opportunities.

Participation in Startup JAPAN EXPO 2026 marked an important milestone as XL8 prepares to expand further into the Japanese market. Through booth demos and local networking, XL8 identified demand for real-time multilingual captioning and interpretation solutions and further refined its collaboration direction for Japan’s business environment.

XL8 plans to continue expanding the role of EventCAT as a solution that helps reduce language barriers and supports real-time communication in global events and business settings, including the Japanese market.

For EventCAT trial or product inquiries: contact@eventcat.com